All things media and comms related

Embrace the wonder that is…Social Media

Ever since completing the web communications unit in the second year of my degree I have become fascinated by, and I must admit slightly addicted to, social media.

No, I don’t just mean ‘facebooking’ long lost friends, although this is a great bonus, I mean creating a list of business connections on Linkedin, sharing specialist topics and trends on Twitter, photo sharing on Flickr, video sharing on youtube and blogging about all things media and comms related on WordPress etc. And what’s more linking each of these together to maximise the potential for hits, followers and networking with those in the media industry.

I am particularly interested in how social media can be used by companies to create successful PR and Marketing strategies. Perhaps due to a lack of understanding, many companies seem to be concerned and sceptical about moving from traditional media platforms and into this new realm.

However, social media doesn’t need to be used as a replacement but instead combined with the likes of print and broadcast media to reach a wide range of stakeholders. They can then be involved in two-way dialogue throughout a campaign as they’re encouraged to post opinions and feedback. It is then vital for companies to respond to these posts ensuring that they are seen to be listening to their publics and taking action. In my opinion, engaging with publics is essential to build relationships and create a mutual understanding on a particular point or issue.

If you have ever wondered why everyone claims it’s important for businesses to get on board the social media bandwagon then check out the slide show below. It provides astonishing figures and statistics about the amount of users posting, commenting and connecting online every day. Just ignore the swearing!